Does the chance of getting caught affect how likely we are to cheat? How do companies pave the way for dishonesty? Does religion improve our honesty? The author of The Upside of Irrationality and Predictably Irrational, behavioral economist Dan Ariely here examines the contradictory forces that drive us to cheat and keep us honest. From ticket-fixing in police departments to test-score scandals in schools, from the extramarital affairs of political and religious leaders to the Ponzi schemes undermining our economy, cheating and dishonesty are inescapable elements of the human condition, says Ariely, who reveals—honestly—what motivates these irrational yet entirely human behaviors.

"Ariely raises the bar for everyone. In the increasingly crowded field of popular cognitive science and behavioral economics, he writes with an unusual combination of verve and sagacity."—Washington Post